I'll Be Home For Christmas
by Wonder Woman 82
Summary: Bella is left alone on Christmas with her son, while her husband is in Iraq for the Holidays. Fluff. You might shed a tear or two. Rated M, even though there's nothing really bad in it. Maybe some references.


_**I figured I'd write this to get with the Christmas spirit. **_

_**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**_

_**BPOV:**_

I read and re-read the letters that Edward has sent home to me from Iraq. It's been almost a year since I've seen him and everyday I miss him even more. I had gotten a call from him a week ago, informing me that he wasn't getting shipped back to the states for at least another month, that his company was needed over there.

I've tried not to be bitter and resentful that he's over seas serving our country, something that I wouldn't be brave enough to handle, but I can't help it. My two year old son barely knows who his father is, aside from pictures, and I'll be taking his gifts back after the holidays.

I blinked back tears as I thumbed through photos of Edward, myself, and our son Jaxon during his first Christmas. Edward looked so happy and sad at the same time. He knew he was to be deployed the following week. I know I'm not the only wife to experience being alone on a holiday due to their husband being in the military. But, I want to be selfish sometimes.

Christmas has always held a bit of meaning for Edward and I.

In junior high, we had our first Christmas dance. Edward asked me to be his date.

My sophomore year of high school, Edward snuck into my window at midnight on Christmas morning, and asked me to be his girlfriend.

Our senior year, during the snowflake ball, another Christmas dance, I was crowned Queen and Edward was crowned King. It was something I'd always dreamed of when I was younger.

He'd told me he loved me on Christmas. We'd kissed for the first time on Christmas under some mistletoe. Our first time having sex was on Christmas.

I thought back to our phone conversation as tears filled my eyes.

"_Hey baby." He cooed into the phone. I smiled involuntarily._

"_Hey yourself." I sighed._

_There was a pregnant pause before he spoke again. "Love, I've got some bad news."_

_My heart dropped to my stomach. "W-what?"_

_He sighed heavily. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to come home for Christmas. Something happened over here and we're not getting shipped back for another month. I'm so sorry, love. I know how much this meant to you. Hell, I was so looking forward to being there when Jaxon opened up his presents." His voice cracked._

_I let tears spill over. "It's okay. I'll take you when I can get you. I love you."_

I wiped my eyes and popped in the tape of our engagement, which also happened on Christmas.

_Edward was nervous all day. He'd been talking about wanting to go into the Army and that he'd finally signed up, only to be shipped off to boot camp ASAP of next year._

_I didn't like the idea of it, but it's something he felt strongly about, and he was his own person._

_Our families had gathered around the tree at the Cullen house to pass out presents when Edward asked me to walk out back with him. I could see Alice practically bouncing with excitement. I shrugged it off._

_Their back yard had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Snow blanketed every surface. Ice hung from tree limbs as they looked like crystal._

_We'd forgone the coats as he held my hand and led me to his old club house. It was really a sad thing that he and Emmett had built when they were young. It didn't even sit off of the ground, but it had everything a person could ever want._

_Once we'd seated ourselves, Edward looked into my eyes and smiled nervously._

"_Bella, I've loved you ever since you pushed me down in second grade and told me I had cooties."_

_I giggled and he winked at me._

"_It seems that we have a tradition to do things on Christmas day, love." He smirked. I blushed, remembering last year what it was we did last year on this day. "I want to continue having these insane traditions with you, Bella. I can't imagine ever going through another Christmas with anybody other than you."_

_He got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. I gasped. It was his grandmother's ring._

"_Isabella Marie Swan, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife and giving me the best Christmas present any man could ask for?"_

_With a shaky nod of my head I whispered 'yes.'_

Alice had snuck out and taped the whole thing. Before the tape goes off, you can hear the men griping that he was making them look bad, a smack, and then Emmett cussing.

I looked around the living room at all of the pictures and Christmas cards on the mantle that sat along it. Our stockings hung up, Edward's filled with Reese's cups that he won't be able to eat.

My tears were coming back full force. I'd looked forward to this so badly. I'd gone out of my way to prepare everything and make it extra special for when Edward came home to our little bronze haired brown eyed boy and myself.

But, it wasn't meant to happen this year. I cried myself to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"MOM-MOM." I heard Jaxon yelling from his crib in his room. My eyes hurt from crying all night and wallowing in my self pity. "MOM-MOM!"

"I'm comin' baby boy." I yawned as I wrapped a robe around myself and went to get my son. He'd been trying to go to the potty, but was still a little gun shy, but I didn't expect a miracle, he had only just turned 2.

After changing his soggy diaper and putting on some warmer clothes, we headed downstairs. I'd placed all of the presents under the tree late last night, after I'd put Jaxon to bed and informed him that Santa would be bringing him presents if he went to sleep. Needless to say, he was excited that 'TANTA' was bringing him 'PREDENCE.' Gotta' love kid speak.

I put him down on the floor and handed him a present. His eyes got big as he sloppily tore open the paper and revealed a push truck. He squealed happily for a moment as I videotaped him so that Edward could see when he got home.

"DAD-DAD." Jaxon squealed, clapping his hands wildly. "DAD-DAD DAD-DAD." He reached his hands out and made a grabbing motion.

I paused the camera and looked over to my left to see my whole world, fat tears falling down his face.

"No sad." Jaxon's face scrunched up as he looked at his daddy. Without thinking I jumped up and wrapped myself around him.

"Oh my God." I sobbed into his neck as his shoulders shook from his own sobs. "What? How?"

He pulled back and put his forehead to mine. "Right after I called you, they changed their minds and decided to keep a different unit on. I didn't have another call, so I had to just show up. My flight just got in about an hour ago."

I kissed him hard as tears streamed down my face and we broke apart to see our son pouting.

"No sad MOM-MOM. No SAD!" He yelled at me. He didn't like when I cried.

"Oh baby." I hopped down from Edward, immediately missing his warmth and his smell and picked up my boy. "Mommy isn't sad. Mommy is very very happy."

"Ish happy?" He cocked his head and looked thoughtful.

Edward chuckled and grabbed our son from my arms. Jaxon took his palms and wiped Edward's face.

"Ish you sad, DAD-DAD?" He buried his face in Edward's neck and a fresh round of tears came from Edward's eyes, as his chin wrinkled and he hugged our son to him.

"No, little man, Dad dad is happy too. I brought you something." Edward said.

Our boy's eyes lit up as Edward got into his rucksack and pulled out a copy of "Twas a Night Before Christmas."

"Book!" Jaxon squealed happily. He got his love for all things literature from his mother.

"Let's open the rest of your presents, bubba." I smiled at him and sat him down on the floor, and videotaped my two best boys opening presents together.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!"

I stood in the doorway, my eyes all misty from the sight before me. My handsome husband was rocking a sleeping Jaxon in his arms after reading his book to him.

He looked up at me and smiled his crooked grin before placing our son in his crib with a gentle kiss to his forehead.

His arm slipped around my waist as we headed down the hall to our bedroom. I'd missed his touch.

"He's gotten so big in a year." Edward frowned. "I've missed so much already."

We stripped down and snuggled under the covers and I sighed as my head rested against his chest. "Well, you're here now."

His hand drew lazy circles on my back. "Yes I am, love."

The radio came on and Edward sang softly into my hair.

_**I'll be home for Christmas;  
You can count on me.  
Please have snow and mistletoe  
And presents on the tree.**_

Christmas Eve will find me  
Where the love-light gleams.  
I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_**So, there's just a bit of a fluffy Christmas-y goodness. It was almost hard for me to write something without it being perverted. So, cut me some slack and review me, baby! Haha**_

_**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**_

_**Kristen**_


End file.
